Former dBs Music student, Morgan Hulston talks about writing music for the game, Carmageddon: Max Damage!

How did you hear about dBs Music and when did you study with us?"I studied at dBs Music at the Bristol campus between 2012 and 2014, which was the very first year after dBs Music opened in Bristol. Rewinding a bit, a friend of mine mentioned a brand new music college in Bristol, so immediately I dropped everything and investigated. I got in contact with the Bristol office and had a brief, informal meeting with the centre manager, Chris Miller. We spoke all things music and within a short amount of time he could tell how much I wanted to get involved, how right the course was for me, and I think the following week, I enrolled.

Tell us about how you got the opportunity to work with Stainless Games on the Carmageddon game?"Before even starting the course I had been in contact with Stainless Games, the developers behind the Carmageddon video game series. I had discovered they were rebooting and updating the old game, so I contacted them on a whim saying how much of a fan of the series I am, and inquired what their plans were for a soundtrack. Cutting a then two-year long story short: towards the end of my time at dBs Music I had met them in person, and after a million emails back and forth got confirmation that they wanted 12 tracks for Carmageddon: Max Damage! Using a lot of the skills and knowledge gained at dBs Music, I simply composed tracks I would want to hear in the game, and I know there's no way in hell I could have done it before the DJ & Electronic Music Production course. I have to mention Maximum Sexy Pigeon', who also composed 12 tracks for the 'Carmageddon: Max Damage' sound track, but in a much more grungy industrial style."

How did you find working at the dBs Music FE centre in Bristol?"The dBs Music FE Campus itself was great, I really liked the layout of having Mac-based class rooms upstairs and recording studios downstairs. It made it feel more like it was two completely different environments, like it was a little mission going downstairs to record - nice. I seem to remember just playing drums a lot. I probably should have been doing something else but it was so much fun and such a good release of energy! The gear in the studios was first rate and made me fall deeply in love with Adam studio monitors, as well as the value of seriously decent gear. I loved learning about setting up drum kit mics, I had no idea how many were needed."

What else did your time at dBs Music teach you?"My time at dBs Music taught me things I didn't know about things I didn't know about. I realised after being there for a couple of months how little I actually knew vs what I thought I knew. There were lots of 'Aaaah! I see!' moments. I gained so much technical knowledge about literally everything I could go on forever. My main tutors were Bruce Turner and Ben Philcox, both of whom I really, really got on well with. All the tutors were really welcoming, articulate and knowledgeable. Bruce's band Playhead covered my track 'DESTROY' by the way! There's a music video for on YouTube and everything. Overall, great times were had all round and from day one I knew they were going to be a good two years."

What have you been up to since leaving dBs Music?"Since the course ended I spent a year in Spain, played Carmageddon a lot, which is still genuinely spine-chilling, wrote my album Anthems and then returned to Bristol. As I was without a decent computer for a long time, I didn't make any music for best part of a year. In 2016 I made two tunes - not my best year for music making. I now have a new set up at home and have literally just got back to making music again and it feels great. Due to my lack of musical creativity, I've been intently listening to various band's and producer's music in a much more analytical way than usual, in lieu of making my own. Now though, I have such a backlog of ideas and new knowledge I've picked up along the way since dBs Music, I'm very excited about 2017."

Any final words?If you love making music, being surrounded by others who love making music, and being handed down knowledge from wise musical elders then I would seriously consider dBs Music. It helped me achieve some rather demanding goals I set for myself, helped me learn things I can never unlearn and I am so grateful for the experience."